Steve Jackson's Blog, page 318

March 14, 2017: Have It All At AllCon!

Who says you can't have it ALL? I will be traveling to Dallas for AllCon XIII, March 16-19, at the Crowne Plaza Dallas near Galleria in Addison, TX. If you're a fan of fantasy, sci-fi, anime, cosplay, and gaming, then this is the con for you! I'll be helping out our local Demo Team members Dawn and Ryan, so stop by and say "hi," and check out our hottest games.



Munchkin fans will have plenty of opportunity to #PlayMunchkin! We'll be running various flavors, including Munchkin Oz  with the new expansion  Munchkin Oz 2 – Yellow Brick Raid , as well as Munchkin Apocalypse Guest Artist Edition with Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd .



Ogre Sixth Edition , our classic game of armored combat, rumbles into the con, ready to take out command posts! If you like to press your luck, then play Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game , Zombie Dice , or Mars Attacks: The Dice Game ! Attendees with a sweet tooth will be able to get a sneak peek at  Ghosts Love Candy . Do you have to pass an oral history report to avoid going to military school? Then check out Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame . Meanwhile, fans of Simon's Cat can enjoy feline hijinks and make a mess with Simon's Cat Card Game .



We're going to have a lot of fun (and swag) at AllCon, so come by our demo space, play some awesome games, and show us your #AllConSuperMunchkin post on social media to get extra swag. See you soon!



– Al Griego



Warehouse 23 News: Car Wars: The Card Game Is Fast Fun



In Car Wars: The Card Game , victory goes to the last car running. Play cards to attack other players with the weapons equipped to your car. You'll defend yourself with cards representing armor and cool vehicular maneuvers. It's the sport of the future – autoduelling! So get your machine guns and flamethrowers ready. You can get it on Warehouse 23 today!

March 13, 2017: Three Out-Of-Print GURPS Books Now Available

As we mentioned in January, we are testing Amazon's CreateSpace print-on-demand service to decide whether to continue to release out-of-print books using their platform. Late last year, we posted three  GURPS  books and started watching sales. So far, sales have not been high enough to justify the effort of prepping the books for CreateSpace, but we need more titles and time to decide if the issue is a lack of demand or if we need a larger catalog to attract attention (and buyers).



We are happy to announce that three more  GURPS  books are now available as print-on-demand softcovers. All of these are available at both Amazon and CreateSpace. In the interest of transparency, we would like to note that sales through CreateSpace generate more revenue for us than sales through Amazon (though both are good for us, so use whichever site you prefer). 



The three new titles are:



GURPS Bio-Tech  - Buy at Amazon / Buy at CreateSpace


GURPS High-Tech  - Buy at Amazon / Buy at CreateSpace


GURPS Infinite Worlds  - Buy at Amazon / Buy at CreateSpace
The three books we released last year are:



GURPS Magic  - Buy at Amazon / Buy at CreateSpace


GURPS Thaumatology  - Buy at Amazon / Buy at CreateSpace


GURPS Ultra-Tech  - Buy at Amazon / Buy at CreateSpace

In April, we will review the performance of all six books. If you want to see more out-of-print books on CreateSpace, please spread the word to your friends and direct them to this Daily Illuminator post so they can judge for themselves whether to buy the available sourcebooks in support of this experiment.



Of course, you can find a lot more than just these six GURPS books at Amazon. While you're there, you may want to look through all of the GURPS books available on the site. Many are out-of-print, and some of the pricier books would be candidates for the CreateSpace approach if it proves cost-effective . . .



-- Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Fight The Wackiest Monsters, With The Punniest Gear!



In Moop's Monster Mashup, players fight the creations of Moop – a wizard who loves to take monsters and mash them together to make new monsters. Use gear like the Beaver Cleaver, which is both beaver and cleaver. Get it on Warehouse 23 today! 

March 12, 2017: PAX East 2017 Gets Super!

We're at huge PAX East, playing games in booth C2904! Come by and say "hi" to Andreas, Guy, and our Boston MIB Demo Team members.

The X-Men have landed at PAX East with Munchkin: X-Men Edition from USAopoly! Not only can you get an early look at this super-powered Munchkin, you can be one of the first people to get a copy for yourself! We have a few copies available, but they are going fast, so make sure you swing by the Compleat Strategist booth early to guarantee your copy. Then you should loot the Emerald City with Munchkin Oz! And don't forget to expand your adventure with the recently released Munchkin Oz 2 - Yellow Brick Raid. With all these options, we have something for any Munchkin fan at PAX East!

Our MIB Demo Team has done a great job at this show. Attendees stole lots of loot and earned the title of Gotham City's greatest supervillain in the Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game tournament Friday afternoon. The winner made off like a bandit with a ton of our dice games! Saturday was a busy day. We had a great turnout for our Ogre Sixth Edition tournament. The battles were hard fought, Ogres were smashed, and many command posts were destroyed. Also, we teamed up with the PAX crew to run the epic Munchathlon, their huge, multi-round Munchkin tournament, with awesome prizes going to the winner. Last, but certainly not least, we are running a Zombie Dice tournament today at 11:30 a.m. Eat the brains, avoid the shotguns, and win a mega-prize pack!

Do you need to pick up one of our games? Stop by The Compleat Strategist, in the booth next to ours. They have everything you're looking for, even early copies of Munchkin Pathfinder 2 – Guns and Razzes and Munchkin Curses. Come by our booth (C2904) and show us your social-media post with the hashtag #PAXSuperMunchkin to receive extra swag.

It's the last day of the con, so come see us before the show closes! 



– Al Griego



Warehouse 23 News: Tile Chess



Tile Chess is chess, but the pieces are tiles that create the board – you can't move a piece to a space where it won't be touching another tile. What's more, it works with more than two players! So if you like chess and want a new experience, this classic game is for you! Get it today on Warehouse 23. 

March 11, 2017: Munchkin Shakespeare Post-Kickstarter Wrapup

We've closed the curtain on the Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter, and are recovering from a month of running the campaign. But while we rest on our laurels, we wanted to give credit where credit is due; to our backers. We ended with 5,280 backers, for a grand total of $295,109! Thank you for the amazing outpouring of support, not only through helping to fund the game, but sharing our social-media posts, spreading the word on your own, and just commenting with your feedback. You are the reason this project not only met, but exceeded, the goals we set for it. This makes Munchkin Shakespeare into a Deluxe set, and unlocked every available card, plus so many accessories and add-ons that even Henry IV would be jealous. Thank you all so, so much. 



Munchkin Shakespeare began its life on a cruise ship, as a mere brainstorm for a booster pack, and has grown to so much more. Andrew, Steve, John, and the entire production team have been able to take these humble beginnings and not only create a full fledged Deluxe set, but also an expansion, and a ton of accessories and bonuses. I'd like to propose a round of applause for all of the creative and production staff on the project, without whom none of this would be possible. And someone, please get John an ice pack for his drawing hand. He's turning in some amazing art at a breakneck pace. Fortunately, a couple of guest pieces by Lar DeSouza may help lighten the load a bit.



If you missed out, fear not! Once the funds have been collected and Kickstarter has taken their cut, we'll be getting a BackerKit survey out to all of our backers to complete the pledge, add extra stuff, and more. When that happens, we'll be opening preorders through BackerKit to get some of the Kickstarter loot, until the survey closes. And if you still can't do that, Munchkin Shakespeare Deluxe will be going to retailers later this year, so you can get it at your friendly local game store! Speaking of (and to) retailers, if you're interested in ordering the game and other Kickstarter items, just email our Retail Liaison and we'll get you that information. 



But the end is never really the end, is it? There's always an encore! While our team is at GAMA Trade Show next week in Las Vegas, we'll host a live stream from our penthouse suite, on March 15. Yes, you know what that is . . . So join us for our Ides of March Kickstarter wrap-up with Andrew Hackard and John Kovalic over on Facebook on March 15. Post your Munchkin Shakespeare questions on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #SJGamesLive and we'll pick the best ones to answer live on air!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Give Your Cybernetic Tanks Somewhere To Battle!



If you love Ogre Sixth Edition , eagerly preordered Ogre Reinforcements , and are looking for more Ogre goodness, we've got you covered! Download the newly released classic Ogre Battlefields supplement, with maps, counters, and scenarios for your 2000s-era set. Get it today, only from Warehouse 23!

March 10, 2017: SJ Games Is At PAX East!

Hello, Beantown! That's right, we are at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center this weekend for PAX East. Stop by booth C2904 and say "hi" to Andreas, Guy, and our Boston MIB Demo Team members, check out our latest games, and pick up a copy to take home and play with your friends.



Mutants are landing at PAX - we'll have early copies of Munchkin: X-Men Edition from USAopoly! This new super-powered version of Munchkin lets you take the role of a mutant, and team up with heroes like Cyclops, Wolverine, and Professor X to take down villains like Juggernaut and Magneto! This will be the first time the game is available anywhere, and we expect it to sell out, so go by the booth early to make sure you get your copy. We also have some super-swag to give out!



Along with the awesome PAX East crew, we will be running tournaments for Ogre Sixth Edition and Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game ! We're also teaming up to run PAX's awesome Munchathlon, their huge, multi-round Munchkin tournament, with awesome prizes going to the winners (check out the swag we gave away at PAX South!). Last, but certainly not least, we will hold a Zombie Dice tournament. Check the event book for more details.



We'll have early copies of Munchkin Curses  and Munchkin Pathfinder 2 – Guns and Razzes for sale!  Munchkin fans will also be able to check out  Munchkin Oz  and Munchkin Oz 2  - Yellow Brick Raid, which recently dropped into local stores. Be one of the first people to take home these new games, expansions, and boosters!



Do you like candy? Well, Ghosts Love Candy , too. (You're a ghost trying to haunt kids and take their candy. Watch out! If you scare them too much, they'll run away, and you'll lose points!) You can snag an early copy of this summer release at the con. Of course, we'll have the recently released Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game and Ogre Sixth Edition to play at the booth, and we will be giving demos on our most excellent, giant-sized copy of Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame ! Cat lovers can play Simon's Cat Card Game . (Have fun, but don't get blamed for the all the messes!) Play it meow!



To pick up a copy, stop by The Compleat Strategist in the booth next to ours. Their wonderful staff will have plenty of our games in stock.



Remember, come by booth C2904 and show us your social-media post with the hashtag #PAXSuperMunchkin to receive extra swag. It's going to be an awesome event. See you there!



– Al Griego



Warehouse 23 News: Preorder Ogre Reinforcements Today!



It's time to roll into battle – you can now preorder the first expansion for Ogre Sixth Edition ! When you order  Ogre Reinforcements , you'll get new units for both the Combine and the Paneuropean sides, all-new scenarios, and more map overlays. Preorder it on Warehouse 23 today! 

March 9, 2017: Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter Ends Tomorrow!

The curtain is closing on our Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter campaign, and we are going out thundering like a tempest! We're getting closer to turning Munchkin Shakespeare into a Deluxe set, and we've almost unlocked every Audience Goal! The last one is our backer goal, which we hopefully pass today. 



We've got a fun reveal today as well! Earlier in the campaign, we announced a Munchkin Shakespeare Kill-O-Meter , drawn by a mystery guest artist. Today, we can reveal that artist as - none other than Lar DeSouza, the illustrator behind our upcoming Super Munchkin Guest Artist Edition , as well as Munchkin Playmat: Spyke's Christmas Wish . We even have a piece of his art for the project to show you! (Note: This art is not final.)

We're excited to have Lar on board for not only the Kill-O-Meter, but the Munchkin Shakespeare Demo Pack! This card pack will include cards from Munchkin Shakespeare, but with Lar's own spin on the artwork. Lar had a few words on his connection with Shakespeare:

"Being married to an arts/drama teacher and living about an hour from Stratford (Ontario, Canada) means the Bard is a big part of our lives around here, from studying ol' Bill's work (I call him Bill) in high school, to seeing his plays interpreted again and again at the local school level and on the professional stage, to helping my wife make costumes and props. I've even been fortunate to meet and do work for the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Contributing to the Munchkin Shakespeare game is another bond with Billy for me (he hates when I call him Billy). Thank you, Steve Jackson Games!"



No, thank YOU, Lar, and all of our backers! We're closing in on that Deluxe goal at $275,000, and you can help us get there! Make sure you back today, so you don't miss out on the exclusive Kickstarter expansion, Munchkin Shakespeare: Limited Engagement. We'll see you at the aftershow! 



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: More Dragons, Less Wrath



We're coming down the home stretch of our Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter. Check it out here! Meanwhile, to tide you over, you can pick up some dragons on Warehouse 23. Munchkin Dragons: Four More is just the ticket. (You can never have too many dragons.) But beware! "Come not between a dragon and his wrath." ~King Lear



 

March 8, 2017: Munchkin Shakespeare Dungeons Sneak Peek

The play's the thing! At least, that's what we're told in Hamlet. And what would a play be without a stage? Nothing! (Actors may tell you otherwise, but they're wrong. Ahem, sorry, my time as a stage hand is showing.)



Seeing how a stage is so important, we've decided to integrate that into Munchkin Shakespeare  through Dungeon cards. Dungeons are oversized cards (like in Munchkin 6: Demented Dungeons and Munchkin 6.5: Terrible Tombs ) used to represent a room, or a location, or (in this case) a stage! These Dungeons come with the Kickstarter-exclusive expansion, Munchkin Shakespeare: Limited Engagement . And we've got a preview for you! 

Of course, this is not final artwork, but it gives you an idea of what these cards look like and what they can do: When you're Backstage, you don't have to worry about finding monsters; you can always make a deal with your fellow thespians! Just make sure to ask what the monster is, or you may be in over your head.



If you get Munchkin Shakespeare: Limited Engagement during the campaign, you'll get at least 20 Dungeons! Plus, we're including a few blank Dungeons, a card we haven't made before, for you to create your own stages. You can get more blank Dungeon cards with the Munchkin Blank Card Pack add-on as well, if you're feeling extra creative.



There's not much time left in the Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter campaign, so back today to make sure you get the exclusive Munchkin Shakespeare: Limited Engagement, and these sweet Dungeon cards! We'll see you on stage!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Munchkin: X-Men Edition Available For Preorder!



Take on the role of young mutants attending Xavier's School of Gifted Youngsters in Munchkin: X-Men Edition. Students start at Level 1 and work their way up to Level 10 to graduate at the head of their class. Gain levels by defeating iconic villains, recruiting Allies such as Wolverine, declaring an X-Affiliation, and using special Powers and Items like Silver Samurai's Sword. Preorder your copy on Warehouse 23 today! 

March 7, 2017: Retailers: Join Us At GAMA Next Week!

Retailers, the GAMA Trade Show is next week, and we invite all of you to join us Tuesday, March 14, for our presentation. We'll be speaking twice that day – once at 1 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. – and we'll have information on Munchkin  and the upcoming Munchkin Collectible Card Game , as well as GAMA Trade Show specials for Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game and Ghosts Love Candy . The presentation we give at GAMA is your chance to learn about our newest games and an opportunity for us to ask you questions, so we hope to see many of you at the show.



And please don't miss out on our party that night! Our Tuesday evening penthouse get-together for retailers is becoming a bit of a tradition; last year, our team heard from several disappointed retailers who missed the party. How did these retailers miss out on attending our jam-packed jamboree? They neglected to join us at one of our two GAMA presentations. Yep, that simple – we announce the party details only at the presentations. So please join us at 1 or 4 to hear about our latest plans and for the clues to the super-secret party that you know you want.



You're not a retailer? There's still a chance for you to get sneak peeks at the latest games and promotions by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Hunter will be in attendance at both presentations on Tuesday, March 14, and if I know Hunter, you can be sure he'll be sharing pics and news from the event.



– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Munchkin Oz And Munchkin Oz 2 – Yellow Brick Raid Now On Warehouse 23!



Munchkin Oz and Munchkin Oz 2 – Yellow Brick Raid are available now on Warehouse 23! Journey through the land of Oz, fighting enemies like the Wicked Witch of the West and Winged Monkeys. And when you add Munchkin Oz 2 , your adventure gets even more intense with 56 more Oz-themed cards! Get them on Warehouse 23 today. 

March 6, 2017: Munchkin Shakespeare Articles You May Have Missed

We've entered the final week of our Munchkin Shakespeare Kickstarter campaign (closing Friday!), so we're rounding up some articles released during the campaign to give you a bit more background on the project. (Maybe if you're on the fence about backing, this will help you decide! At the very least, you get a peek behind the curtain at how we make a Munchkin set.) 



Munchkin Czar Andrew Hackard provided the (Not So) Secret Origin of Munchkin Shakespeare, an article focusing on our trip on the Nerd Boat . . . er, I mean JoCo Cruise 2015, and the resulting card ideas crowdsourced from a group of fans. Here, he gives us an answer to the question: Why Kickstarter? And he answered the frequently asked questions about the Kickstarter Exclusive Expansion (recently named  Munchkin Shakespeare: Limited Engagement ).



If you're wondering if Shakespeare can mix with other sets, Andrew will put your mind at ease with Munchkin Shakespeare: An Act in Five Plays, which highlights five Munchkin games that would be perfect to mix with it, as well as dungeons from Munchkin 6 and Munchkin 6.5 . And it doesn't stop there; you can mix any Munchkin games together, so the options are limitless!



We wouldn't want to leave artist John Kovalic out, as he provided Munchkin Shakespeare Art Notes on his Dork Tower site. Learn some background to John's process, and get some card-art previews (not final art) to boot. Geek & Sundry also interviewed John, and gave the campaign a shoutout. Thanks, G&S, for the signal boost! 



Finally, I gave some details about Munchkin Shakespeare and retailers; how they can be involved with the campaign, and information about the game releasing to distributors.



If you had a question, hopefully these articles will help answer it. There are only five days left in the Munchkin Shakespeare campaign, so help us spread the word and unlock even cooler loot!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Simon's Cat Card Game Is Adorable, Quick, And $6.95



So really, what are you waiting for? Order it on Warehouse 23 today, and in no time, you'll be matching cute cards featuring cats, kittens, pups, and hedgehogs. It's the purrrfect portable family-friendly game!

March 5, 2017: On A Roll At ECCC!

We're having a blast at Emerald City Comic Con! SJ Games is at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, playing all sorts of games. Stop by booth 909 and say "hi" to Andreas, Guy, and our Seattle MIB Demo team, and play our latest games!



We had a big crowd show up Saturday afternoon for Shane White, illustrator of  Munchkin Pathfinder Guest Artist Edition and Munchkin Pathfinder 2 - Guns and Razzes.  Lots of swag was handed out, demo fun was had, and tons of happy fans got signatures!

We've also got in a lot of demos for Super Munchkin Guest Artist Edition, featuring the art of Lar deSouza. Early copies of all three of these games are also available (but are going fast)! 

Meanwhile, Command Posts were crushed and Ogres were destroyed in Ogre Sixth Edition. Players got into a villainous mood playing Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game using our special Batman table. Batman, The Joker, and Harley Quinn even stopped by to play a round (it's so hard to get them in a room together)! Attendees also previewed our big summer release, Ghosts Love Candy. Stop by to play and get your own copy to take home; quantities are very limited, so make sure you get to the booth soon!

We'll be running demos and answering questions about our games for the rest of the weekend. Don't forget, show us your social-media post with the hashtag #ECCCSuperMunchkin and you'll receive extra swag. See you soon!



-- Al Griego



Warehouse 23 News: Try In Nomine – The Classic RPG Of Angels And Demons



Our classic RPG In Nomine is now available to play on Storium, an online platform that turns creative writing into a multiplayer game! You can tell stories in a world where heaven and hell fight an invisible war over an unaware humanity. 



You don't need to read any of our original In Nomine material to play the Storium game. But if your interest is aroused by the idea of an RPG about angels and demons struggling against each other and amongst themselves, you can pick up the original core rulebook on Warehouse 23 in PDF form today!